Proposals have been published to introduce a water charge for excessive use.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities proposals, which were first put together in 2017 by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, have been shaped by a recent public consultation.

Irish Water proposes to charge households a €1.85-unit rate charge per 1,000 litres of water and waste water consumed over the annual allowance. This new charge would be capped at €500 for both water and waste-water.

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Eoin Ó Broin of Sinn Féin, who opposed the proposal, has hit out at the newly published documents.

"There is no credible evidence to support claims that Irish households wilfully waste water," Deputy Ó Broin said.

"It highly likely that undetected leaks are the culprit in homes where higher than average use is detected.

"43% of our water is wasted in leaking pipes and infrastructure. The focus should be on detecting leaks and assisting homeowner in fixing these through an expanded find and fix service.

"Charging for so-called excessive use is the result of a backroom deal between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and leave a future government with the opportunity to reintroduce a domestic charge."